| DuPont The
DuPont Company was founded in July 1802. Its original factory,
located along the Brandywine River near Wilmington, Delaware
manufactured high-quality gunpowder. By the 1850s it was
recognised as the most extensive powder-mill in the world.
After a century in business, the company began to focus on
research, diversification and acquisitions, all of which moved
the organisation towards becoming a chemical company. Among
these early acquisitions were nitrocellulose solvents and
lacquers. The famous DuPont oval trademark was also introduced
around this time.
After World War 1, DuPont acquired the rights to
manufacture Cellulose film from a French company and then
discovered a method for moisture-proofing the material which was
to revolutionise the packaging of food and other consumables.
About this time, DuPont also formed a joint venture with the
French firm Pathe Cinema Societe Anonyme for the production of
35mm movie film.
 In the 1920s, building on what was by now its
world class base in chemistry, DuPont established its
"Experimental Station", a university-like site for both
fundamental and applied research and development. Among its
earliest discoveries were Neoprene synthetic rubber
invented in 1931 and Nylon - the first truly synthetic
fibre in 1934. A rapid development programme introduced this new
"synthetic silk" in 1939 where it quickly set in motion the
modern synthetic fibres revolution.
Other products followed including Teflon
(polytetrafluorethylene or PTFE) - a remarkable substance used
initially for gaskets but later to become a household name for
"non-stick" cookware. Dacron and Orlon fibres (based on
polyacrylonitrile) were developed as was Mylar, a strong
transparent film made from polyethylene terephthalate. By the
1960s it was apparent that new innovations would be required and
two-thirds of the 60 new ventures were commercialised, the most
successful of which were Lycra, Kevlar a polymer based on
polyimide and Tyvek. In more recent years, the Company
has concerned itself with protein plastics based on corn and
soyabean.
Today, DuPont defines itself as one of the
world's premier science companies, committed to care of the
environment and sustainable growth. It has formed five market-
and technology- focussed business groups (as well as Textiles
and Interiors subsidiary) and operates in 70 countries with more
than 80,000 employees. Its turnover is more than 20 billion
dollars. A comprehensive history of the company was published to
mark its 200th anniversary - DuPont - From the Banks of the
Brandywine to Miracles of Science by Adrian Kinnane. |